1. some quick review The goal of practical workplace writing is to communicate simply and clearly. So, avoid complicated sentences! Remember:  “GRAMMATICALLY” simple sentences have only one single subject/action/object.  “PRACTICALLY” simple sentences have only one “main” action and don’t have any grammatical punctuation.  “COMPLEX/COMPOUND” sentences jam complete thoughts together, require grammatical punctuation, and are therefore a lot harder to skim very quickly!

2. “grammatically” SIMPLE sentences: ONE subject  One thing is doing an action ONE action  One action is being done ONE object  One thing is being acted upon Jack stopped the evil plan. Substitute pronouns to really see these grammar elements. He stopped it. “Grammatically” simple sentences are SUPER simple. They are the simplest full sentences that you can write. They are really easy to skim really fast.

3. “practically” SIMPLE sentences: ONE “main” (direct) subject  The thing doing the most important action ONE “main” (direct) action  The clearly most important action in the sentence ONE “main” (direct) object  The thing being acted on by the main subject (probably a phrase with additional indirect subjects and actions) Jack stopped the evil President’s plan to blow up Texas. The object phrase has an action and several objects, but all these things are receiving the main action (all of them are being stopped). He stopped it. “Practically” simple sentences have just one main thought. They don’t use any grammatical punctuation. They are therefore pretty easy to skim really fast.

4. “complex / compound” sentences: Often more than one subject More than one main important action More than one main object receiving these important actions Some grammar punctuation, or some conjunctions, or some subordinate clauses, or other more freaky grammar things going on. Jack and all the other operatives at CTU quickly analyzed and completely foiled the evil President’s plan to equip monkeys with rayguns and, with the help of Russian mobsters, attack the United Nations (which was in session to consider sanctions for Russia’s invasion of a neighboring separatist state), thereby ensuring world peace.

5. HOW TO SPOT the different types: It is NOT a “practically simple” sentence if:  There is more than one main subject  There is more than one main important action  There is grammatical punctuation (commas, conjunctions, semicolons, parenthesis, etc) to mash together complete thoughts (remember that commas for dates, lists, or places are just “procedural” punctuation) It is NOT a “grammatically simple” sentence if:  There is more than ONE SINGLE subject, action, and object

6. example a “grammatically simple” sentence: Jack Bauer saved the world. HE saved IT. There is only one single subject, action, and object. There is no “grammatical” punctuation.

7. example a “practically simple” sentence: Jack Bauer used guns, knives, and ice cream to do good work in Paris, Texas, on May 1, 1999. HE used THEM to do IT. There are technically two actions and several objects. There is only one main SUBJECT doing everything. There is only one clearly most important main ACTION. There is no “grammatical” punctuation (just “procedural” commas to punctuate a place, a date, and a list).

8. example a “complex / compound” sentence: Jack Bauer climbed up the hill to get a pail full of water, and Kim Bauer went down the hill and used the water to interrogate the corrupt president. HE climbed up IT to get IT, and SHE went down IT and used IT to interrogate HIM. There are TWO main subjects, and there are LOTS of important main actions. The sentence needs grammatical commas and conjunctions to make sense of all these subjects, actions, and objects.

9. keep it simple use SUPER SIMPLE statements ! Jack Bauer climbed up the hill to get a pail full of water, and Kim Bauer went down the hill and used the water to interrogate the corrupt President. just write this: Jack Bauer climbed up the hill. He got a pail full of water. Kim Bauer went down the hill. She used the water. She interrogated the corrupt President.

10. at least use PRACTICALLY SIMPLE statements ! Jack Bauer climbed up the hill to get a pail full of water, and Kim Bauer went down the hill and used the water to interrogate the corrupt President. at least write this: Jack Bauer climbed up the hill to get a pail full of water. Kim Bauer then went down the hill. She used the water to interrogate the corrupt President.